Drowning In the Air
by Meepster08
Summary: Alice White had grown up in an Orphanage with naught a friend in the world, except her kind Matron known as "Linda." As she grows older, she seeks out who her father really is with some new friends. Friendship/Family/Hurt/Comfort. T for language. R&R!
1. Melancholy Hill

Drowning In the Air

Up On Melancholy Hill

**AN: This fanfic will mostly involve Murdoc, but it's not an OCxMurdoc pairing (I also have no idea when he and the band will show up. Just be patient!). I might make a separate one, or bring one in later, but the heroine of the story DOESN'T date him. I won't give anything else away for now, hehe… I do not own Gorillaz, but the other characters are my OC's. Another thought: The British accents would probably take half the time for me to write the story, so I don't think I'll bother with the accents (Though I probably won't be able to stop an occasional "Bloody 'ell!" here and there XD) I also do not own any of the music, I just thought it'd be nifty it I named the chapter's after songs of theirs… Did I just say nifty? Jesus Christ. While I go hide in the Corner of Shame, you enjoy this… whatever you'd call it. Ciao!**

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Linda, the Matron of the local Orphanage, was waving goodbye to her absolute favorite child in the Orphanage for the last time. _Well, she __**is**__ 15, for God's sake. It was high time she got out of here anyway! _Still, it tore a little hole in her heart thinking this was possibly the last she will see of the child- _I mean woman… Yes, she is a young woman now._ The girl waved goodbye to her and hopped into her friend's Winnebago. "Where to?" Linda asked, guessing she already knew the answer.

"No idea…" The girl said in wonder. "But I'll know when I get there, that I'm sure of." The woman merely gave an exasperated breath of laughter and shooed her away. _How did I know?_ She thought with amusement. _That girl… still as peculiar as she was when she first got here!_

The girl arrived on the doorstep of the Orphanage in London, England. She was at the tender age of 6 when the Matron of the Orphanage came upon the little girl. The eerie silence of the child almost immediately aroused her curiosity. There were no tears or incoherent sobs coming from the child. Neither was there any identification, packed bags, or even a comfort item, such as a blanket or teddy bear. She was quite small; in both stature and width. The girl was thin as a board, and as small as a dormouse you might be inclined to say. Her hair was dark black and in a high ponytail with a possibility of blue in it. Her eyes look naturally wide with curiosity; You could tell she was a natural thinker and wonderer. _To put it simply, a natural intellect. _Even so, the most definite thing about her eyes were how the right one was almost ebony black, and the other a rusty brown that could possibly show as red in the right lighting. Her face was rather pointed; Her nose was petite and slightly crooked, as if someone had broken it. Her skin was as if you mixed a very light shade of brown and green together. (It may sound sickening, but it somehow worked for her). Though cute and most definitely pretty, this little girl was not gorgeous.

The child looked up at the woman and quite calmly asked, "Has my mom left me here?"

_Sounds American to me. How'd a 6 year old American end up here…?_

The Matron was prepared to give the usual speech that tells children to not give up hope; believe in their future, whether mommy is there or not. But as she began to start, her breath caught in her throat. The look on the child's face was almost too much for her to bear. Though nothing outwardly showed of the child's inner turmoil, her eyes showed an infinite sadness, along with reluctant acceptance… She also could have sworn her left eye glistened a dark red in response to lightning being struck at that moment, somewhere far into the distance. Once it disappeared though, the crimson had vanished.

"…Most likely," The Matron said. She was deeply surprised at this frank truth she had just told the poor little girl. "Come with me inside. It looks like it's going to storm soon. We… we can try to contact your mother once we're inside." She said hesitantly.

"No need," the girl sighed. "Mom didn't like me much. I could tell. When do we eat?" she asked in wonder. That was most likely due to catching the scent of tonight's dinner in the air as they walked by the Dining Hall.

"I was actually about to sit down for supper right before you knocked on the door!" the Matron said in a cheerful tone. She made sure to practice this voice as often as she could; not only to keep the kids believing everything will be all right, but to assure herself as well. The things she had seen and heard in her years at the orphanage would most likely drive another person to throw oneself off a bridge, and that's putting it mildly.

"That's nice! I haven't eaten in…" The girl stood there counting mentally, "In about a week. Yes… a week. Where is my room going to be, Ms…?"

The woman stared at the girl's ridiculously thin body and had no trouble at all believing she'd been starved.

"…What was that? Oh! My name? Most around here call me Miss Holland, but you may call me… Linda." She said with a bright smile. "And what's your name, Missy?"

The girl had no smile to return to this "Linda" woman. "I have no name, but Mom's boyfriend from about a year ago would always call me Baby Doll. Does that count?" She asked with eyes full of curiosity.

The woman faltered and stopped in the hallway. _So neglected… So unloved. How is she so devoid of pain? _Linda thought. _It's just as sad- no, even sadder than when children are left hopeless and full of raw, hateful emotions…_

"I… I'd have to say no. How about let's give you one right now!" Linda burst out cheerily. "What would you like your name to be?"

"…I really like Alice." The girl said quietly. "May my name be Alice…White?"

Linda smiled at the girl with glistening eyes in danger of spilling over. "Of course, Darling," she choked out, "you can have whatever name you want…"

At this, little Alice managed to poke out a little smile through her thin lips. At her smile, she happened to reveal abnormally pointed teeth like a predator's. "Thank you, Miss Holland- er, Linda. You're a very kind person. I think I'll be ok now that I'm here." She stood there for a moment, but looked rather awkward. She then slowly got close to Linda and put her arms very lightly around her waist. As heart warming as it was, she could sense how virgin the hug was to Alice.

_I can almost tell she's never given a real hug before… That poor girl… Poor Alice. _"No, thank **you, **Alice dearest! Now hurry and claim your bunk before all the good spots are taken. And Alice?" Linda said to catch the departing Alice from leaving, "How about you sit next to me for dinner tonight?"

Alice didn't speak for a moment. For several moments… A whole minute now. But then a smile managed to tug on her lips gently, and Alice replied with the sincere happiness a 6 year old is suppose to use. "…Sure. I'd really like that." She stood there for a moment in the cramped hallway and then slowly wandered her way down to where Linda had indicated the Bedrooms to be.

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Linda was sitting on a fairly large hill right by her small Urban-style apartment with her boyfriend, Jack. They always went to the hill after work was over to watch the sunset; it was their spot and no one else could ever take that away from them, she decided.

Jack had decided on the very first date that they were to have a spot declared for themselves to ponder things and have bubble-blowing competitions. At that moment, she knew she hit gold. Quirky, intelligent, and very cute with short brown hair and caring blue eyes, she had discovered something extremely rare: A man worth her time.

He had his arm around her and they were talking about how their day went when she suddenly started crying.

"What's wrong, Linda?" Jack said with light surprise and concern. "Was it some brat at the orphanage giving you a hard time? If so, I can teach that hooligan a lesson or two…" He held his fists up and started boxing the air.

At that, she laughed and told Jack the story of little Alice. "No, Jack. I only wish it were as simple as a misbehaved kid. This little girl… she's something different. If she weren't so sweet, I'd say she was of demon descent! I'm worried she won't get along with the others; I seem to be the only one she's talked to at all today. I just don't know what I should do…" She put her head in her hands and sat like that for a while. The wind blew her golden hair around her face a bit, almost as if it were trying to cheer her up by playfully sweeping her hair around her heart-shaped face.

"…You know, I say it's this hill that's grieving you. I'm getting a very sullen vibe off of it; Tis be a rather Melancholy Hill, eh? Let's go back home and sleep. I think you'll feel better about it once you get some sleep in you." Jake said in a matter of fact tone.

_When he's like this, there's simply no point in arguing, is there?_ She thought in an exasperated tone. They stood up and wiped the grass off of their clothes (And in her case, wiped the fresh tears out of her eyes as well.) and walked back to their low rent apartment. She was about to follow Jack inside when she turned around one last time to glance at the newly deemed Melancholy Hill. "Alice…" She whispered.


	2. All Alone

All Alone

**AN: I do not own Gorillaz or any of their music (But a girl can dream, can't she?) I've been too excited to write about the awesome parts in the story. I want to hurry and write about all that! Sigh… I still have a couple of chapters to go until the anticipated moment…! Pleeeease review; it makes me a better writer and encourages me to write more :D! Enjoy the chapter!**

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She was searching in the depths of her mind again, wandering through the muck and cobwebs one would be inclined to call a conscious. She was currently stuck sitting in an uncomfortable chair at best, which resided in a pathetic excuse for a High School. In all honesty, the school wasn't that bad; it was just Alice's way of seeing things when she was in her Sullen State. She had various kinds of moods; there was Sullen, Neutral, Dark, Sorrowful, Content, and Joy. She scowled a bit, noticing she had double the amount of negatives as she did positive. Her Matron, known to Alice as Linda, had informed her that girls at the age of 16 were bound to feel depressed from time to time. Alice's response to this was a simple snort and a roll of her eyes.

_Oh well. At least I'm honest with myself about these things. Things really are at its worse when you get to the point of lying to yourself, you know. _She counseled herself wisely. She then took the time to look around the classroom: It was fairly large with bare, white walls except for the occasional inspirational poster that had some witty play-on-words involving an education. _I think I should petition the ban of those stupid things from all schools and workplaces. It just embarrasses everyone. Honestly! _There was a whiteboard upfront where her English teacher Mrs. Roxwell was writing something. 'What's the definition of a noun?'

_Of course. Guess who's going to be selected for this one?_ "Can anyone speak up and answer the question on the board?" Mrs. Roxell called out clearly across the room. She was met with a monotonous scene filled with blank stares coming from her students.

"Anyone…? ..." She called out, bored. Mrs. Roxwell ended up doing the same thing over and over whenever she attempted to interact with her brain-dead students. She'd ask a question, wait half a minute for a volunteer, and when no one chose to go, she would call on Alice. She could usually depend on the girl to be semi-paying attention. Alice was rising out of her seat with a sigh when surprisingly, a hand shot up into the air.

"I've got this one, Mrs. Roxwell! Pick me, pick me!" A certain girl called out. Alice and Mrs. Roxwell were quite shocked to hear a sound disturb the almost deathly silence that accompanied English Class.

Alice look over at the girl, and something inside her mind began to turn; she felt as if this girl was connected to her by blood. And the blood coursing through her veins demanded she go over there and smack her upside the head for being such a muppet.

_Why do I feel compelled to hit her? I barely even know the girl! _Alice thought with uncertainty and slight amusement. She glanced over at the girl again, and she for once didn't feel emotions that were complex and foreign. Nothing mind reeling and boggling that has been thought over by thousands of philosophers in the past to ponder its meaning. She knew straight and true how she felt: The girl made Alice pissed. Plain and simple.

"Ms. Kingsley! I'm glad to see **someone** is halfway conscious at the moment. She's been here **one** day and has participated more than the lot of you!" Mrs. Roxwell said with a poorly hidden disgust for the other adolescents. "Come up to the front and write the definition, if you please."

"Certainly, Mrs. Roxwell. And you can call me Sue, if you wanna." The girl named Sue gave the teacher a huge grin, which the teacher frowned at.

"I think I shall stick with Ms. Kingsley, actually." She said with the barest hint of frost in her voice; however, Sue didn't notice one bit, and took a marker and began happily writing on the board.

_Who the hell does she think she is? Acting all chummy with Mrs. Roxwell… It makes me sick! And what's with her stupid smile? The dullard can't even smile right!_ Alice thought with chagrin. She herself didn't smile a lot, due to a combination of her razor sharp teeth and the fact Alice White was not easily amused. She looked at Sue intently this time, and noticed quite a few unique things about her she found quite... familiar. (Besides her strange ability to piss off the normally docile Alice.)

She seemed to be sticking with a Rebel/Punk theme all around, despite her seemingly ridiculously happy outlook on life. She had a simple black T-shirt with a black and red plaid skirt that reached down to mid thigh. Her hair was cropped short and spiky around her ears, and also included Robin-Egg blue streaks, making up the majority of her would-be brunette hair.

_It looks more like it's the __**brown**__ that's highlights, not the blue._ Alice thought pointedly. She thought about that for a moment, and shrugged. She also noticed how disturbingly thin Sue was. When Alice first arrived at the Orphanage, she had been accustomed to being starved on a regular basis and she **never** got that thin in her life! The most peculiar thing about Sue though was her eyes. They looked unnaturally light; a soft, gentle grey that held no light in them. Alice immediately knew the girl had some vision problems. She also had a very pretty face. Some might even go as far to say 'beautiful'. _If she thinks she's prettier than me, she is sadly mistaken..._ Alice thought with some force.

"Is that it, Mrs. Roxwell? Is it?" Sue anxiously called out with a hint of laughter. Alice looked at the board and read out loud what Sue had written.

"A noun: A person, place, or… Chain smoking monkeys…?" _This girl is a complete nut job. Off her rocker!_ Alice though with a smug grin plastered on her face. But then she recalled a moment in Health class similar to what Sue did.

She was in Health class, barely paying attention to what the dreary teacher was saying, though she managed to catch the words, "Name a stimulant drug." No one answered, which left the room silent for a whole minute. Finally, Alice just shouted out the first one she could think of.

"CRACK!" Everyone turned around to look at her and started bursting out laughing. Alice joined in too and was enjoying the rare happiness that follows laughter, until the students had a good look at her teeth and began to anxiously scoot away from her. The looks of nervousness and fear brought her solemnly down from her reverie. The awkward silence and stares just reminded her she was alone.

_That's all it is. I'm just… All Alone._ She shivered at the thought, but was brought out of her state to find Mrs. Roxwell screaming like bloody murder at Sue. It gave Alicequite a bit of pleasure to see Sue's ridiculous grin wiped clean off her face when the word "detention" rose. At that very moment, Mrs. Roxwell chose to look around the room and found Alice grinning like a madwoman at Sue.

"And as for **you **Alice, you can stay in after school as well if you're so bloody amused by all this." Similar to Sue, the smile Alice had worn but a mere 5 seconds ago had completely disappeared. At that, Sue looked over to where it sounded like Mrs. Roxwell was yelling at and slightly frowned.

"You think it's funny or something?" Sue asked in her general direction. She wasn't really mad or even ticked off; just saddened by the fact she hadn't even **met** anyone in this building and she already disliked her. She could barely see her, but the few things she managed to catch awoke something inside her. Something deep inside Sue made her feel like she shouldn't be surprised at this Alice girl's distaste for her. She felt connected to her by blood. And the blood coursing in **her **veins told her to run like bloody hell away from this demon.

It seems their blood had a mutual agreement going: Things weren't meant to work out very well in between them, no matter what the case may be, whether it was Alice's irrational anger towards Sue, or Sue's unnatural weariness of Alice. Sparks were flying from Alice's eyes; Fear so strong you could almost **taste** it came off of Sue's.

"…I'm glad to see you two get along so well, because I believe you're to both report back to this room the moment school gets out." They both guffawed at their teacher's obvious pleasure she was getting out of pairing these two up.

_That is some sick stuff, right there! _Sue thought to herself in frustration.

_Mrs. Roxwell derives pleasure from the sickest things! _Alice thought with malice.

Whichever way they phrased it, they knew that the moment they both attended their assigned detention together, that Fate wouldn't be so kind as to keep them from crossing paths again. Whether for better or worse, neither knew for sure, though they had their rather unpleasant guesses. They both glanced at each other one last time before the 3rd period bell rang and shared one single thought.

_Fuck._


	3. Kids With Guns

Kids With Guns

**AN: I don't own anything Gorillaz related. (Except a couple CD's. And those I borrowed from my friend XD. So I guess I don't own them… Though he said they're basically mine for a week. I guess it's an "Eye of the Beholder" thing, really.) I've been trying to get these out as fast as possible, so rest assured I'm working hard! (Sort of… Not really.) This one is also kind of shorter than usual. I'm just trying to hurry and introduce all the characters to the story. Don't worry, there's only one more after this. Also, if you haven't noticed, I'm naming all the chapters after songs by Gorillaz and manage to slip the names into the story. Keep an eye out for the names! … And that's pretty much it. Lol. Enjoy!**

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Alice had gotten through the day fairly quickly. Usually time creaked by painfully slow, like the brittle bones of an elderly man. But today was different. Today, she had something to "look forward to" after school. She had to contend with a nearly blind punk by the name of Sue that she had an instinctual urge to beat. Lovely.

_Why do I feel so violent toward this girl? I've never even met her before…_ Alice thought in a daze. She didn't understand how she felt about this Sue gal; Even though she just **screamed **'Beat me up!' to everyone around her, Alice felt connected to her somehow. Deep within the catacombs of Alice's mind, she knew something was meant to pull them together at some point in their lives; whether it be a detention after school or (anywhere else for that matter), she knew that the moment she was born, there was no escaping Sue, and Sue could never have escaped Alice.

"Doesn't mean I have to like it, though…" She murmured to herself.

"What was that, Ms. White? Did you have something to share with the class?" Mr. Irvin asked Alice sharply. He never seemed to like Alice much; he most likely thought she was a rune-chanting demon, as did a majority of people in this school. And in life.

_Sigh…_

"No, Mr. Irvin, I have nothing to share with the class." Alice said dryly. As much as Mr. Irvin seemed to dislike her, she was almost positive she disliked him twice as much. Due to her hatred toward this teacher, she had always hated 6th hour Math. He was always calling out on her whenever she seemed to be having trouble with the concepts in an attempt to make her look foolish. Alice sincerely had no idea why he targeted her specifically. All she knew was that he was the biggest arse she had ever come across, including herself.

"That seems contrary to the fact that you just were talking. I insist! Tell us your profound thoughts!" The sarcasm in that statement was practically tangible from across the building. "Or are you just trying to socialize with the other students? I've told you this before, Alice; you're just making their day unpleasant by making them deal with you! Tsk, tsk!"

All the students in the room were deathly quiet. No one could speak. Sure, Mr. Irvin has always disliked Alice, and he was obviously having an off day, but they'd never heard him say something like… like **that. **Alice vaguely recalled him mentioning in class earlier this week that he was going through a divorce with his wife of 9 years. After that, he hurriedly assigned them about three times as much homework as usual.

That was the moment Alice had finally had enough. He had been harassing and mocking her since the first day of 10th grade, and he had just pushed her over the edge.

_That's it._

"…Actually, I believe I DO have something to share with everyone." She said with a smirk on her face. She rose from her seat, and cleared her throat. "Attention, attention! I must bring this matter to all your attentions; the fact cannot be ignored no longer. Mr. Irvin… is a total prick! …That is all."

She sat down with a sharp grin that would've given the Cheshire Cat a run for its money. A large African American girl stood up and started applauding for Alice. "Woot! You tell 'em girl!" She cheered loudly. Alice gave her a wry smile in response.

She rather liked this girl, she decided. She was a bit heavy, but it didn't really affect her pretty face, and unlike every other girl in the school (and possibly the World), she seemed to be proud of her weight. She towered over everyone in the school (including teachers) when she stood straight, though she usually slouched. She also wore a menacing face which resembled a provoked Pitbull a majority of the time. Naturally, all of this terrified the living daylights out of anyone if they got too close to her, therefore she was always given a radius of about one meter. This allowed her plenty of alone time to do what she wanted: Listen to music. She seemed to listen to rap throughout all her classes and only bothered to leave her music-induced trances when something interesting was going on.

Alice remembered an occasion where she was leaving Math class and couldn't help but overhear a couple of students talking about how everyone believed she was the "plaything" of an entire local gang everyone, referred to as the Idiots, Ghetto Rats, or Kids With Guns (The gang somehow managed to pride itself on how re-known it was around town). Alice only had to see this girl once to know this was obviously untrue. She may look intimidating as hell, but Alice knew that she had too much self-respect to do anything like that with trash on the streets.

It also just occurred to her that she had forgotten her name. After a moment, it hit her. Ebony Blanche, she recalled. _Ebony Blanche…? Oh, how I love a good oxymoron! _Alice thought with glee. She also noticed that everything about her was Ebony; Her shoulder length hair, her eyes, and her dark skin all fell under the category of ebony. But her attention was drawn back to class as the whole class had started to applaud and cheer, getting closer and closer to becoming out of control.

Mr. Irvin's mouth was nearly hanging by its hinges. At first he could only splutter out incomplete sentences. "Well… I…!" Was said often. Soon his face soon was flushed with an unnatural shade of red.

"**ENOUGH!" **He finally screamed out above everyone in the room. Alice's and Ebony's smiles faltered. He first pointed at Alice with a shaking hand.

"_**You… you have earned yourself a detention after school, little girl. And you…!",**_ He swerved his pointed finger over to Ebony now, "_**You may come in as well…" **_His tone was enough to make Alice and Ebony fearful for their lives, and it was quite difficult to make these two girls afraid of anything.

"…But sir, I already have detention with Mrs. Roxwell today after school!" Alice said in a somewhat submissive tone. She hated it; her very core was against being submissive to anyone or anything, and here she was, cowering in the shadow of her High School Math teacher. _I'm thoroughly disgusted by myself!_ She thought to herself miserably.

"Then make a call to your parents and tell them you're going to be serving two detentions today. Not that complicated, Alice. Just took a bit of thinking, didn't it?" He said in a mocking tone.

"Well, _**I**_ certainly didn't find it difficult, but I guess I can understand if **you** had trouble thinking about it a little." She gave him a (obviously fake) sympathetic smile. The African girl starting laughing her arse off and covered her mouth in a miserable attempt to hold back her laughter.

Once again, his face was engulfed in a blanket of crimson, but this time, he took some deep breaths and seemed to have calmed himself.

"You certainly seem to enjoy detentions, the two of you. How about you can spend some quality time together for about a month after school?" He said cheerily.

"…But..!" Ebony cried out, "I didn't do anythin'! You can hardly blame someone fo laughin at somethin' funny!" Alice thought she had a good point.

But Mr. Irvin merely sneered at her. "Of course I can, Ms. Blanche. Now… Any other outbursts you two would like to share with us?"

The two students remained silent, but the glares they were giving him were similar to shooting daggers.

"…Good! That leaves us with about…" Mr. Irvin stopped his sentence when the end of 6th hour class rung. "…No time whatsoever to do this math problem. Everyone is excused from homework tonight except for… Well, I think you two can guess." He flashed them a smile, which made both girls wanting to knock his teeth out.

As everyone else packed up, the two girls just sat in their desks for several moments, thinking of the chain of events that lead them into such deep trouble. They glanced over to each other, and seemed to share one single thought.

_I fucking hate Mr. Irvin._


	4. White Flag

White Flag

**AN: I do not own Gorillaz in any shape or form, but the OC's are mine. Sorry I haven't updated recently; I keep daydreaming about later chapters, but I've been real lazy about writing this one. I apologize profusely for my habitual procrastination. Also; I am NOT connecting Naruto to Gorillaz. I named the character Naruto because A: It's a Japanese boy name, and B: Well, you'll find out later. But I assure you, even though I'm a total Narutard, it doesn't mean I plan on connecting the two (Besides my single reference to it). Pure Gorillaz Fanfic. Now… Please enjoy the chapter and pleeeease review. I love hearing what people think. Till next time!

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The day had gone by in a blur for Alice after Math class. She really couldn't recall any specifics, besides third and sixth hour. All her attention was focused on the two she had met that day: Sue and Ebony. She felt a gravitational pull of sorts to these two. She couldn't understand why or even how, but she could sense more was to unravel within the day.

_And of course, it will all begin in detention. There's no denying it; I know it will. _Alice mentally sighed at this. She knew Linda was not going to be a happy camper to hear that she had two detentions today; She had high expectations of Alice and was easily disappointed by things like this.

"Well, she's gonna have to get over it!" Alice snarled with annoyance and guilt. Her attention was brought back to the real world as people stared at her in the hallway and realized she had said this out loud.

"Now that girl talks to herself?"

"What a weirdo!"

_School has been out for five minutes and I've managed to once again stain my reputation. I just gotta keep beating that dead horse, don't I?_ But instead of voicing her frustrations, she gave everyone around her a toothy grin, which caused the majority of the crowd to back away from her. There were a few perks to having demonic appearances; when she wanted space, she sure as hell got it.

She wandered down the long corridors of the school until she finally came across a door with the word "DETENTION" written across it. _It's so blatantly obvious that it hurts._ She thought with a grim smile. She opened the door to find a sight that grated sharply on her nerves: A grinning Sue wildly flailing her arms in a gesture of greeting to Alice.

"Why are you so excited? Calm down! You look like an idiot." Alice whispered harshly to Sue. This put an overly exaggerated heart broken expression on Sue's face.

"But Alice…! I'm just excited to see my new, bestest friend!" She stuck her lips out in a pout.

"…Bestest…Friend?" Alice asked slowly. "I hate to ask, but what are you on, Sue? It must be some pretty good stuff."

"Only my pills. Got a huge migraine problem, ya know. The Doc says it's genetic. My bro used to have em apparently." At this, she pulled out a small bottle of colorful pills.

_I wasn't expecting a valid to answer to that question…_ Alice thought wearily. She at that moment recalled that Ebony had been called down for detention as well. She looked around the room, but didn't have to look long; It was never hard to spot Ebony in an enclosed space. She was sitting on the opposite side of the room, and gave a small wave to Alice.

"Hey girl. Glad you could make it." Ebony gave Alice her signature bear-like grin, and Alice returned the greeting with her own wolf-like grin. Sue looked at both of the girls' smiles and faltered.

"Your smiles are terrifying! How are you both able to scare me out of my mind? …Speaking of minds, now I've gone and gotten a headache. Thanks." She pulled out three of the colorful pills and swallowed them dry.

"Well it just so happens that you also are a total Face-ache. Everything about you is painful, isn't it?" Alice retorted. Ebony let out a hearty laugh at this, and Sue gave an indignant huff.

"Well, at least my nose isn't as crooked as a dog's hind leg!" Sue said. She knew that would strike a nerve in Alice.

"Well at least I don't look like a monkey!" Alice yelled. Things were getting louder and tenser every moment between them.

"Demon!"

"Pill popper!"

Ebony was just getting out of her seat to wave the White Flag when something caught all of them off guard.

"Enough." An icy voice said. You could barely even hear what was said, but it somehow caught everyone's attention. Alice looked around to find the voice. _What the hell…?_ She finally skimmed her eyes over the only possible culprit.

It was a boy. _Rather small for our age, eh?_ Alice thought. He had dark enough hair that it could be distinguished as a deep shade of violet, with his bangs hanging loosely over his face. Even without seeing the eyes, Alice knew he was Asian. He wore a T-shirt with some Japanese Pop band with some logos in what Alice assumed to be Kanji with some baggy jeans.

_Behind those bangs lurks something I doubt anyone could understand. For his small size, he holds enormous depth. _With that thought, Alice shuddered. _I doubt he talks much; but when he does, everyone better listen to what he has to say._

The entire room was silent. With everyone intensely staring at the boy, it finally made him squirm. He looked slightly uncomfortable.

"What?" He said with a defensive tone.

"Nothing," Alice said with some awe, "I've just never had some squirt tell me to shut up before." This brought a slight frown to the boy's face, and as he responded, you could hear the tiniest hint of being irked.

"I may be small, but that doesn't change the fact that the fight needed to be stopped. And my name is not Squirt; It is Naruto."

At this, Alice started giggling. "You mean, like in that show? Show me some of your ninja skills, Naruto!" This earned a glare from everyone in the room, but Alice was too caught up in her own amusement.

"I don't think he was named after a cartoon ninja, Alice. Why you tryin' to be hateful?" Ebony said in a disapproving tone.

"Ooooh Ebony, you know I kid! We're cool, right? You and me… you're my home dawg, G! We are for real." Alice said awkwardly. Ebony merely face palmed at Alice's attempt at speaking ebonics while Sue started hysterically laughing and Naruto gave a slight smile.

"Whatever. Y'all are just haters, all up in my grill and everything. For shizzle!" This caused everyone to burst out laughing (_Even Naruto snickered a bit!)_ and it immediately dispelled all previous tension from the room. Alice looked up at Naruto and a thought came to her.

"You certainly don't look the type to land in detention. How'd you end up here?' She asked with mild curiosity.

"I am currently in the care of the teacher who usually hosts detention, but Ms. Jones was not able to come here after school to look after you all, so she assigned me the job." He explained calmly.

"'In the care'? What do you mean by that?" Sue asked with a slightly confused voice. Alice gave Sue a quick glare; being an orphan, she completely understood when someone was in an awkward situation like this. She wasn't at all surprised by Naruto's grimace and curt reply.

"I do not recall a majority of my past. About a year ago, I awoke in the house of Ms. Jones to have her explain to me how she found me in a crate, tossed aside onto the shore of a river. I have no recollection of anything besides the past year. Any more questions?" The look he gave Sue managed to shut her up.

_Now __**that **__is an accomplishment! _Alice chuckled to herself mentally.

Sue felt so bad about asking Naruto something so personal that she felt it necessary to say something as well.

"Ooooh… That's awful. If it makes you feel any better, I don't live with my parents either. I apparently had an older brother, and after dealing with, 'All his miserable failures in life', my parents just lost it and dumped me off on my Auntie and Uncle. They have no idea where my parents ran off to, and I frankly don't give a damn… But I sometimes think of my brother and wonder what he was like." Sue ended this statement softly, as if mentioning her elder brother was a taboo she almost not dared to break.

Ebony looked at the two of them and sighed. "Damn. Life ain't fun, is it? I was raised in the Projects of the Big Apple, ya know? Everyday, I had to watch my back, just waiting for that one gunshot to end it all. Strange enough, it was my mom who left after I was born and Dad was stuck with me. We didn't ever really talk. He just was kinda there. But once, when we did talk, he mentioned I had a cousin who managed to make it big in Essex, England. So I packed my shit and hauled my ass over here. For two years, I've been lookin for my cousin. He's all I got, really." At this, Ebony sighed and everybody looked at Alice with expectant eyes.

_What the hell is with this pity party…? I'm betting they're gonna get pissy if I don't tell them my sob story. Ugh. Might as well._

And so Alice started. "Er… Well… I have absolutely no idea who my father is. I was raised- If you could call it that- by my mom till age 5. Her favorite hobbies included drinking, bringing home her weird boyfriends home to our crappy apartment, and rambling on about how famous my father was. 'You wouldn't ever believe it, you little snot! That man… He's bigger than God himself, I tell ya. You should be honored that he bothered to knock me up with a sorry excuse of a kid like you!' Was something she liked to say a lot. I guess one day she got tired of me being around the house and dumped me at the local Orphanage."

At this, everyone's eyes widened in surprise and sympathy. Alice just shrugged.

"I don't really care; I didn't ever like my mom anyways. I'm just looking around. As cliché as it sounds, I am indeed on a search for my father, but if I don't find him then I guess I don't care either way."

Everything was very quiet. Things were getting pretty awkward when Ebony looked up at the clock.

"Hey… I think we can go now." Ebony said with some relief. Everyone started to go toward the exit except Alice.

"Naah. I got two detentions to serve. You guys go on without me; I'll see you later." Alice said in a depressed tone.

"Well, alright then. See ya, Alice." Ebony waved.

"I believe you are capable of looking after yourself. Sayounara!" Naruto called out quietly.

Alice was left with only herself and Sue after they left. Sue stood there for a moment, looking at Alice with a strange expression. Finally, she put her arm on Alice's shoulder.

"Aren't we all searching for that someone?" She said in a lost tone. Alice had reply to this; she just rolled her eyes and swiped Sue's hand off her shoulder. Sue gave Alice a good-natured grin and gave her a small salute.

"See you later, Demon."

"You too, Face-ache."

Alice watched Sue's back slowly receding until she finally rounded a corner. She finally sighed and sat down at a desk.

_It's gonna be a long detention._


	5. Don't Get Lost In Heaven

Don't Get Lost In Heaven

**AN: I don't own anything Gorillaz related. Anyway, this is it. I included just a small sneak peek of the actual Gorillaz because I understand if some of you are frustrated with the lack of Gorillaz action. Rest assured! I am trying to get to them as soon as possible. I probably shouldn't even be hurrying them up like I am. But I really just want to get there! As usual, I ask you to R&R. Enjoy the story!**

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It had been about 2 weeks since that fateful day in the detention room; 2 weeks ago since Alice finally acquired real friends; And it had been 2 weeks ago that Alice finally gathered strength to do what she needed to do: Truly begin a search for her father. For her whole life, she had been looking, but was restrained to asking around the Orphanage and her school. After a couple of months though, she ran out of people to interrogate, and was given no other choice but to temporarily pause the search. That had been about 2 years ago. But after giving her little possy _(What the hell? I have a __**possy **__now?) _her brief sob story, she realized that searching for her father was the only definite thing in her future. Her education, career and family plans were all a blurry mess in her mind. The only thing she did know was that she would be searching for him until she dropped dead. With all this in mind, she devised an idea that could get what she and her friends (_But mostly me, hehe!)_ wanted most in the whole world: A real family.

They were all outside the school building, hanging out like they always did after school ended. Alice stood there in silence, watching the others chatting away as she gathered up the gusto to bring forth her crazy and most likely hopeless idea. Still, she felt it should at least be put out there for the others to consider, and whether she wanted to admit it or not, she couldn't do it without the help of her new friends. Finally, she spoke as their conversation had paused momentarily.

"…How about we go on a road trip?" Alice fumbled out. She had a bit of trouble trying to put mimick Linda's cheerfulness, which caused her to trip up on her words.

Sue stared at Alice suspiciously. "Why are you trying to sound happy? …And what kind of 'field trip', may I ask?"

Ebony and Naruto merely nodded with Sue and shared the same suspicious expressions.

_How did I know they'd see right through it?_ Alice thought sarcastically. Outwardly, she merely scowled. "Don't be like that. Why must it be whenever I mention something, it has to be put under deep scrutiny?"

"Because," Sue drawled out, "Whatever you suggest will probably scar us physically, mentally or emotionally. Or put us in jail. Most likely a combination though."

"Sad to say, but Sue's right, Alice. You ain't got nothin' but schemes rollin' around that head of yours!" Ebony cackled. "I'd probably stick around for em though; For sure they're lots of fun!"

Naruto merely rolled his eyes. "They might be entertaining for a little bit, but I don't think they'll be much fun when we're strolling around our prison cells with charges of assault on ice cream vendors over our heads."

"THAT, my friend, happened ONCE. And I assure you it was completely necessary. Anyone stupid enough to leave chocolate chips out of chocolate chip ice cream needs to be repeatedly dunked in a tub of bleach!" Alice said impatiently. "But the assault on that bimbo isn't what we're discussing; I was going to talk about looking for each of our lost relatives."

At that, you could hear a needle fall onto the ground. The idea of a road trip centered around the discovery of lost relatives while still in high school caught them all by surprise.

Being the most practical of the group, it was Naruto who spoke first.

"How do you propose we pull it off?" Naruto said with heavy doubt in his voice.

"…Well, I figured that since summer break starts in a week, we could go over vacation. I think all of our according guardians will understand; I know Linda will. In fact, I already talked to her about it. She couldn't be more excited for me, actually. Anyway, I figured that we could borrow Sue's Winnie to start. It seems to me that we all have leads that point to Essex, so I thought we'd start there. Don't even pretend Sue; we know your Aunt and Uncle are loaded. They could easily sponsor the trip. Any questions?" She said with a smirk.

"…Wow, Alice. You actually thought this one through. But why do we have to use all of **my **stuff?" Sue whined.

"Because your Aunt and Uncle are beside themselves trying to find something to waste their money on! And because your beautiful Winnie has been collecting dust in your garage for about a year." Alice said pointedly.

Sue started to protest, but at Alice's glare, she just shrugged. "Fair enough. Anyone against the plan? I know my Aunt and Uncle wouldn't give a damn if I moved out, let alone if I got out of their hair for a month or two. They won't have any trouble forking over the money, trust me."

Ebony and Naruto looked at each other for a moment to see how the other felt about this. Despite how different they were, they shared a special bond that no one but them could really understand.

_Kind of like me and- Nooo, no, no, no. I just wanna strangle her scrawny neck. That's all there is to it..._

"…Unlike yall, I don't gotta ask no one for permission. And Lord knows sittin' around on my crappy laptop googling my cousin hasn't helped at all. …Why not? It'll make it much more fun if I'm with you crazy crackas!" Ebony gave everyone a good-natured grin. She then turned to the conflicted Naruto.

"And what about you, hun? You goin' or stayin'?" She asked with honey drizzled on her voice.

Naruto gave her a toothy grin before starting. "Ms. Jones has been trying to get me on my feet for about a year; I do not wish to be a burden upon her any longer. If I were to find anyone related to me, or even a place to stay on my own, it'd certainly make this trip worthwhile. I do not know who I was before I awoke on the river's shore that day, but I have a feeling that I was a very determined person, and that I would without a doubt follow and assist my friends on this noble pursuit."

Naruto then let a smirk envelop his face. "It'd also make it worthwhile if I were able to perceive more of Alice's stupidity for myself. The stories I hear are making me itch with curiosity."

"You snarky bastard. I knew you weren't all about the 'noble intentions'!" Despite her words, Alice took no offense at all from Naruto. It was almost impossible to take his playfulness to heart.

"So I suppose everyone is willing to give this plan a go?" Alice saw everyone nodding their head.

"Good! How about you pull up to the Orphanage on Saturday? It'll give us a day after school ends to pack everything up and say our goodbyes."

Sue nodded. "Sure. I'll pick everyone else up first, so you'll have time to… deal with Linda." Everyone grimaced at the thought of big-hearted Linda saying goodbye to her departing "Little Darling". Something told them that it won't be very pretty.

"Yeah, it might be a bit hard on her. But she's still happy for me, and completely agrees that I should be out looking for my dad. She won't be **too** difficult." Alice said with a sigh.

"I probably wouldn't ever have to bother to tell my Aunt and Uncle if it wasn't for the fact I need cash. They'll be eager enough to ship me away." Sue said with a grim smile.

"I just gotta say goodbye to my cactus!" Ebony chirped.

"Ms. Jones will miss me, but it's time I move on anyway." Naruto said simply.

"Well, we've got this figured out. Meet up tomorrow at the same spot?" Alice said hopefully.

"Kay!"

"You know it!"

"Of course!"

Alice did something particularly rare; she gave a genuine smile of happiness. Because she realized she had friends she could depend on, to trust even. It made so much of a difference to a person's life, honestly. Whatever faults these crazy idiots had, she still depended on them to provide shelter from the storm.

_Don't Get Lost In Heaven, now!_ Alice reminded herself. She felt rather ridiculous now for being giddy at the thought of a road trip with her buddies. _If I start crying, I swear to GOD…_

"Thanks everyone. I can't wait till the weeks over. Goodbye…" She called out softly. Everyone said their goodbyes and departed with a wave. With that, Alice was left to herself and her thoughts.

Shaking off the sentimental crap, she looked up at the sky and saw a single cloud floating through the blue sky. She was beyond determined now; the race had now begun.

_I will find you. No matter how long it takes, I will find you Dad!_

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_I will find you. No matter how long it takes, I will find you Dad!_ He woke with a start and started to breathe heavily. _What the hell was with that dream…?_ He thought irritably. It didn't really matter though; what did matter was that he was now up at the ungodly hour of 11 a.m. and a certain blue-haired pretty boy would be dealing with his frustrations. He rolled out of the bed and slipped on a couple of beer cans that had been strewn across the floor.

"Bloody 'ell! I can't even walk around my own damn room without something tripping me and nearly breaking my fuckin' neck!" He screeched. This just caused his already pounding head to pound even harder. _Those fuckin' hangovers kill me every time, man!_

He managed to stumble over to his body mirror and inspected himself. Odd enough, he was actually wearing some pants, along with his Cuban Heels he wore everywhere. His green skin was quite distinct, due to a couple of hours he spent tanning out in Mexico. His black hair was a mess, and his checkered black-red eyes shone with particular irritation today. Overall, he found himself quite a stud, as did every female he laid eyes on.

_Sexiest beast alive, ladies. Don't tell yourselves otherwise._ He grinned for a moment before he remembered that he was pissed and had a certain Face-Ache he needed to attend to. Right before he turned away from his image in the mirror, he thought of the last line of his dream.

_I will find you Dad!_

_Must be drinking too much of that Club-Blended Vodka shit. Satan be damned if I have bastard children running around the streets! _He cackled. Even so, he felt the faintest of chills at the thought. Frankly, it was impossible in his eyes. He couldn't father a child! It wasn't that he was infertile. Or paid for expensive surgeries to keep whores from getting knocked up. Nothing like that. It was the Rule. It was his single most obeyed Rule in the book, actually. He always recited this one rule to every one of his lady friends to reassure them. You see…

Murdoc Niccals just couldn't be a dad.


	6. White Light

White Light

**Disclaimer: I don't own anything Gorillaz related. Just the OC's.**

**AN: Hello! I know this one is really short, But I didn't want to have to stick this into the next chapter so… Ya. She WILL encounter Gorillaz in the next chapter. The moment we've been waiting for…! Hold tight, I'm getting these things out as fast as I can, I assure you. As always, R&R and enjoy the chapter!**

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It was a lovely Saturday morning, which usually meant sleeping in until 1 in the afternoon, but Linda had roused Alice from her sleep at the unnecessarily early hour of 9 a.m.

_If it were anyone but Linda, they'd be on the floor headed toward a White Light for waking me up…!_

When Alice demanded an explanation as to why she was awake, Linda replied tearfully, "So you can get packed up and ready to go!"

Seeing Linda like this, riddled with emotions and unlikely to compromise about Alice's sleeping in, Alice pulled of the covers with a sigh and began the tedious work of packing. She owned very few things; that wasn't what made it tedious work. It was simply nostalgia that plagued her.

She put in the 10 shirts and assorted pants she had gotten for her last birthday from Linda. _She really went all out, didn't she?_ Alice thought fondly to herself. After that, she put in the basic toiletries provided by charity funds: Hairbrush, toothbrush, pillow, shampoo and conditioner… tampons… _That… should be put at the bottom._ Alice blushed profusely and stuffed them deep in her suitcase before anyone noticed them. With that crisis averted, she looked around her room for anything else to pack.

Her eyes came across her most important possessions and she scowled at how close she was to leaving them behind. She got off the ground and walked over to her wooden bookshelf. She collected everything and carefully set them next to her suitcase her to arrange.

First, she picked up her Phantom of the Opera DVD that she got from Linda for Christmas. Though several years old, there wasn't a single scratch on the case or DVD itself. She lovingly placed it in her suitcase and looked back at her small pile. She picked up the small charm bracelet she received from –take a good guess- and flicked the small Rose charm hanging on the golden chain. It had been intricately crafted to the point you could almost smell the perfume-like scent of the flower. She silently slipped this onto her left wrist when something shiny caught her eye.

She leaned down and lifted up the golden Inverted Cross she had inherited- _By inherited, I mean received via my angry mother looking for things to throw at my face- _right before her mother kicked her out of the car outside the Orphanage. She let it spin loosely before she gingerly slipped it around her neck. She knew this was a token of her father without it ever being said to her, and fortunately, she found Satanists interesting and not the least bit intimidating. _If they wanna worship Satan, then more power to 'em! _She grinned wickedly at the thought.

Still, it felt as if something was missing… _That's it!_ Suddenly, she remembered what she had forgotten and walked over to the dresser by her bed.

She picked up the only CD's she had ever bothered to buy: Gorillaz CD's. Through the years, she would've probably lost her mind several times over if it weren't for their music. Though she adored them, she had never investigated the band members much. Despite this, she knew her favorite band member would have to be the mesmerizing bass player. She found comfort in their eerily similar looks, a sign to her that anyone as freakish as her still had a chance to make it in this world. After packing her CD's and Gorillaz poster _(Hey. Don't judge, man.),_ she had finished the dreary task of getting ready for the trip.

_That just leaves… Saying goodbye._ Alice shuddered at the thought, but trudged out of her room anyway.

She found Linda in the Dining Hall, stirring her oatmeal into unappetizing sludge with her eyes downcast. _Jesus! She's a mess!_ Alice thought. Just the sight of her Matron like this pierced Alice with guilt, but there wasn't much she could do about it now.

"…Hey, Linda. How are you?" Alice inquired softly. She had a feeling she knew how Linda felt, but this was an easy way to starting the conversation.

"I feel like crap." She mumbled out pathetically. Realizing she was being a bit of a downer, she turned her scowl into a bright smile. "How about you, Alice dear?"

"I've been better. I've also been worse, I suppose…" Alice shrugged. After a few moments of silence, it got a bit awkward. After about a minute, Linda burst out of her chair, knocking it over in the process, and started sobbing on Alice's chest.

"OH ALICE! HOW WILL I GET BY WITHOUT YOU? MY DARLING!" She howled. Alice just patted Linda's back weakly in response.

"There, there… It'll be all right. You hear me? I can take care of myself, and all my friends will have my back." Alice cooed. But after 5 minutes of this, Alice lost her patience.

"…Honestly, Linda! This is very unbecoming of you!" She proceeded to peel Linda off of her, and the grieving Matron seemed to have finally pulled herself together with a hiccup and sniffle.

"…I know, I know. You're a grown woman. But still…! I'll miss you, Alice. So much more than you think." Linda whispered.

"Yeah, yeah, yeah. I get it. I'll miss you too Linda. But at least you have Jack to be there for you!" Alice ended the sentence softly and gently rubbed the golden band that had been residing on Linda's wedding finger for over 8 years. _I remember the wedding. It was beautiful…_ At that very moment, she could faintly hear the honk of Sue's Winnie from outside the building.

"I guess that means I gotta go now. Bye Linda… You've done everything for me." Alice choked out. Before Linda could say any more, Alice briskly walked back to her room and rolled her suitcase outside. Despite her rushed manner, Linda managed to catch Alice again and grabbed her shoulder.

"Good luck." She breathed. Alice grinned at her and gave her a swift peck on the cheek before she started jogging over to the Winnie.

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Linda, the Matron of the local Orphanage, was waving goodbye to her foremost favorite child in the Orphanage for the last time. _Well, she __**is**__ 15, for God's sake. It was high time she got out of here anyway! _Still, it tore a little hole in her heart thinking this was possibly the last she will see of the child- _I mean woman… Yes, she is a young woman now._ The girl waved goodbye to her and hopped into her friend's Winnebago. "Where to?" Linda asked, guessing she already knew the answer.

"No idea…" The girl said in wonder. "But I'll know when I get there, that I'm sure of." The woman merely gave an exasperated breath of laughter and shooed her away. _How did I know?_ She thought with amusement. _That girl… still as peculiar as she was when she first got here!_


	7. The Odyssey

The Odyssey

**AN: I'm soooo sorry I haven't updated soon. I'm not going to lie; I'm not infinitively buried in schoolwork. I'm not immersed deeply into my social life or any all-consuming complications in my life and I haven't been conflicted with the fatal disease known as "writer's block". I am a natural procrastinator. Plain and simple. I know exactly where this is going, I know almost all of the plot, and I have a ridiculous amount of free time. I'm the only one to blame, sadly. But I'm working on it! Also, I've quit naming chapters after Gorillaz songs. After a while, it becomes rather tedious. R&R as always; Enjoy the long over-due chapter!**

**P.S. Special thanks to Google Eleanor for always reviewing every chapter and to Midnight Larkin, my newfound Beta reader!

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When Alice had planned the search for everyone's lost family members, she envisioned something like the "family road trips" she had seen on the television, filled with fun, adventures, and plenty of bonding time. (Granted, it was a ridiculously small TV and the only one in the whole Orphanage.)

This was nothing like what she imagined.

It may have only taken about two hours to get there, but the search in Essex had so far taken two weeks. And soon, crowded living space, little fresh air and a shared bathroom all took a toll on the four young teens. Whether it was Sue's subdued manner, Naruto's eccentric sulking, Ebony's quick-fire temper, or Alice's plain irritableness, it was bringing out the worst in all of them.

_I need to get us out of here. Fast. _Alice thought with slight anxiety. If things didn't brighten up soon, they might just possibly tear each other apart.

At the moment, they were waiting for Naruto to return with any possible information on their relatives. It had been about three hours since he left at nine in the morning, and the three remaining teens soon grew restless. This happened every time one of them went out for information; leaving behind tension and anxiety and returning with nothing didn't balance out very well.

As usual, Ebony was the first to break the silence.

"What are we gonna do if we don't find 'em?" She said with dead seriousness. Despite how obvious this concern was, no one had dared say it aloud the whole two weeks they'd been on the road.

"Re_laaaax,_ Ebs. It's gonna work out!" Sue drawled out. "Just gotta give this 'lil operation a chance!"

"It's been two weeks, and we ain't got a single damn thing to show for it!" Ebony hit the coffee table beside her with her fist, drawing the other two teen's eyes.

"It's nice an' dandy to be runnin' around and hopin' for a break, but from where I come from, sittin' around and hopin' gets you nowhere. Or shot. Either way, I ain't havin' it." After several moments of deathly quiet, Alice was the next to break the tense silence. Despite the serious undertones of the conversation, Alice couldn't help but burst out laughing.

"Kudos, Ebony! You just managed to pin down everyone's thoughts and fears in one poorly put together statement. Ebony is right, Sue; we can't keep this up forever. We can always come back at winter break, I suppose. But it's insane to sit here and wait for nothing to pass us by."

In response, Sue just ground her teeth in silence.

One ridiculously awkward hour later, Naruto came bursting through the door. Anything big enough to disturb his usual calm manner (especially with his extra sulking of late) had to be big. His chest was heaving so heavily that he could barely get out the words he so desperately needed to share with the others.

"Gorillaz… Something about… Gorillaz… A group of people who apparently look a lot like us. Someone… A loony named Paula Cracker, I think... told me they live here. Go. Now."

Everyone started frantically speaking at once, voicing either their excitement or concerns. Everyone that is, except Alice. She just sat there quietly, stunned by the news. After a few moments, she silently rose out of her seat and went to her bags to retrieve her Gorillaz poster. When she returned to the group, she could barely even distinguish which voice was which.

"Oh my gawd, oh my gawd, oh my gawd… We finally have a lead! WOOO!"

"This is incredible. I cannot wait to discover if they are indeed our relatives…"

"_Hell ya!_ I'm comin', cuz. Don't you worry about that!"

Alice cleared her throat quite loudly and managed to catch Naruto's attention.

"Yes, what is it Alice?" His eyes showing light concern.

"Is this the 'group of people' you were talking about?" Alice said quietly. At that moment, she unrolled her poster and it limply hung there for all eyes to behold. There, in the dim light the Winnie gave from the inside, had she finally noticed the eerie resemblance they all struck with one of the members of the band. The poster also happened to catch the other two's attention quite suddenly.

Sue's eyes were transfixed on the blue haired singer. "That's… insane. He looks just like the boy from the family photos… Well, besides the blue hair and black eyes. He looked to be about ten in the photos." Her fingers trembled as she traced over features that had grown quite familiar to Alice by now, on both the singer and Sue.

While Sue had her eyes on the singer, Ebony had caught sight of the burly drummer. "He looks so much like my Uncle! His skin, his height, his…**Fat**! I'm feelin' a bit of Déjà vu comin' along… But what in the **hell** is with his eyes?" She frowned slightly at his eyes, but still retained the glassy, far away look in hers.

Naruto, of course, was attracted to the guitarist. But instead of recounting where he had recognized her, he just rubbed his temples. "I'm… remembering something. I think it's something… involving her? I… I don't know. I think I recognize her, but I can't be certain." He simply seemed confused and continued to rub at his headache.

Now, Alice didn't need to study the poster to see what the bassist looked like. She had memorized every inch of his face from years of studying the single poster hanging on her barren wall. Still, she couldn't help but turn the poster around to take another look, with newly awoken vision, to find something deadly obvious staring her in the face.

_I… am such a dumb fuck._

Everything about him, from his posture to his features, and even his …**aura** just screamed, "I'm your bloody father! Yoo-hoo!" She knew it deep down in her bones; they had discovered their long lost relatives.

"Quit dawdling, everyone. Let's get a move on." Alice said quickly. Everyone looked up at her with a confused look.

"To where?" Sue asked with her brows knitted.

"Where do you _think_, dullard? The zoo? WE, my friends, are off to **Kong Studios**!" Alice screamed at the top of her lungs.

People's responses differed. Sue jumped with giddy and cheered while Naruto merely face-palmed and pulled out the map. But Ebony's response summed up pretty much everyone's feelings with a sharp grin.

"Let's do this, bitches."

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Despite the energy boost the newfound information had given them, they soon became weary and irritable once again after five hours of pointless driving.

_Basically, we're all tired and grumpy again, only we refuse to call it a rest for tonight, which will most likely make us even more tired and grumpy… This cycle can only end in homicide. Or suicide. But most likely both._ Alice thought to herself with a grim smile.

Things had been going pretty well for quite a while. If they could maintain the no-drama streak for an hour or so, they could possibly make it to Kong! …Unfortunately, Sue didn't seem to think the same thing. Out of seemingly nowhere, she snapped at Alice.

"**If you can't find a bloody mansion three times the size of your orphanage, then give me the damn wheel so someone competent can drive!**" She screeched in Alice's face.

…_Ouch._ "The hell is your problem? Like a dullard like **you** could read this stupid map and get us there. You can barely tie your own damn shoes!" Alice shouted back. The two other teens just watched the fight in silence. Frankly, the two peacekeepers didn't have the energy to stop the fight. And it was admittedly entertaining, as well.

"Oi! That was a ONE-TIME thing. I was having a brain-fart…" Sue said defensively.

"Your brain _is_ a fart, Sue!" Alice cackled in return. Sue's usually chalky-white cheeks were inflamed red.

_She's not a very happy camper at the moment…_

Sue was beyond frustrated. She had been stuck in this lousy Winnie for 2 whole **weeks** with this beyond-agitating girl. She was seeing red, and ready to attack the nearest thing to her.

So she said what she knew would hurt Alice.

She would regret it for years to come, but Alice always insisted it was fine. Still, she couldn't help but wonder how things would have happened differently if she hadn't uttered those awful words that fateful day.

"At least my father isn't some green freak with a bloody cape! …Well, I suppose that's where you get it from, eh?" She hissed.

At that very moment, Alice stomped on the breaks of the Winnie. They were apparently in the middle of nowhere. There was only a massive landfill, housing a large building on the peak of the only hill in sight to indicate life had (at least at one point) been here. She turned her head very slowly, and spoke with a sharp preciseness that scared the living daylights out of Sue.

"Say that again."

Immediately, this set everyone in the Winnie on edge. And to be frank, Sue was scared for her life.

"…Hey. I'm just kidding with ya. You know that, right, Alice? I didn't mean it-!" She was interrupted by a yank on her shirt as Alice pulled her out of the Winnie and out onto the road. Ebony and Naruto quietly followed, dreading what was sure to follow.

"Alice, what in the bloody hell are you doing? I didn't mean it, I-!" She was once again interrupted, only this time by a punch to the nose. Sue found herself on the rough ground and put a hand up to her nose, coated in blood.

Sue looked up wildly and was simply met with a cold silence from Alice. The moment Sue got off the ground and tried to talk again, Alice took another swing at Sue.

"**Jesus Christ, Alice! Can you calm yourself down enough so we can-!"** This time, Sue had expected the swing, so instead she dodged and swung a fist of her own into Alice's crimson eye.

"Aaaaawww…. Son of a biiiiiirch…." Alice moaned. She fell to the ground and cradled her injured eye.

"What did I tell you? It fucking hurts! …And what's with the 'son of a birch' thing?" She asked confusedly.

"Just because you're a vulgar potty mouth doesn't mean I have to be…" Alice smirked.

"Don't smile. It makes your eye look like a deformed plum." Sue retorted.

"And you might just wanna shut your trap, because you're about to get a stream of your own blood innit." Alice replied.

Suddenly, the two started bursting out laughing. Honestly, the two could never stay mad for long. If they did, they couldn't poke fun at each other like they oh-so loved to do.

_At least things are back to normal. For now._ Alice thought quietly. Until of course, something went wrong.

Maybe Sue was only just now realizing it, but her whole nose was covered in blood. Her laugh died off as she felt around some more on her face. By the time she was done, it looked like she had dipped her hand into a whole bucket of blood. Apparently, Sue had a problem with that.

"…This is blood." Sue said, eerily calm.

"Yes. It is _blood_." Alice responded with heavy sarcasm. _She never ceases to amaze me, concerning her stupidity._

"Oh my god. My face. My hand. I'm soaked… in my own BLOOD!" Sue shrieked. She tried to wipe the blood on her shirt, but she only succeeded in spreading the blood around, invoking more blood-curdling howling.

_Oh FUCK. She must be afraid of blood. What the hell are we supposed to do?_ Alice internally wailed. Alice tried calming Sue down, but she just kept flailing herself and made it impossible to grab onto.

"**Where is spazz control when you need**?" Alice screamed to no one in particular.

"I suppose I'm right here. Now may I ask you all a simple question? …WHY are you parked outside our house and causing such a ruckus?" A small but clear voice inquired. Everyone's head turned to where they heard the voice and very nearly sobbed out of joy. Indeed, the voice belonged to…

Noodle, Axe-Princess of the Gorillaz.

In a matter of five seconds, several changes were made to this particular scene: Naruto had fainted quite suddenly, Ebony was frantically fawning over his unconscious body, Sue became completely oblivious to the blood on her face and started dancing, and Alice was on her knees joyously crying.

The strange sight of the vagabonds covered in blood and tears weren't very reassuring, but she only had to take one look at the group and know she had to at least take them in for a night. She also couldn't hide how curious she was at the teenager's likeliness to the band.

"We can take care of your bleeding friend soon enough, and the unconscious one can sleep on the couch, if necessary." Noodle offered. "Would you like to… come in?"

Alice looked around for a moment before realizing she was the only coherent person able to speak for the group. Suddenly, the weight of the situation hit her like a ton of bricks. She and her friends were being invited into Kong Studios, "The Gorillaz' HQ", by none other than Noodle herself. She slowly got off her knees and gave Noodle the sharpest grin she could muster.

"…You can't believe how long I've been waiting to hear those words."


End file.
